ISLAMABAD: The Islamabad High Court (IHC) has directed the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA), Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (Pemra) and National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency (NCCIA) to submit a comprehensive report on measures taken to combat cybercrime.
Justice Arbab Muhammad Tahir issued the directions in a written order on a petition filed by Dr Raana Ahsan against the federation and others.
The court also directed the interior secretary to convene a coordination meeting of the relevant institutions, citing public concerns over online safety, misuse of digital and broadcast media, and enforcement of laws protecting citizens against online harm.
Reviewing the PTA’s report, the court noted varying compliance rates with requests to block unlawful content. Compliance stood at 40.38 per cent in defamation and impersonation cases, 59.01pc in matters concerning national security and defence, and 98.91pc in cases involving decency and morality.
Platform-wise compliance ranged from 48.42pc on X (formerly Twitter) to 88.68pc on TikTok.
The PTA told the court that social media companies had not responded affirmatively to requests to meet registration requirements and appoint local compliance and grievance officers. It also cited limited regulatory powers and frequent refusals by platforms to remove content.
The court questioned whether existing statutory powers under the Pakistan Telecommunication (Re-
organisation) Act, 1996, and the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act, 2016, were being effectively exercised. It called for effective complaint handling.
Published in Dawn, October 27th, 2026
